#s4 cribs

[algu-sims]

[algu] crescent moon crib set

Bed : 11 swatch

Duvet : 5 swatch

Download (early)

[andy-clutterbuck]

4x02 | Infected

[13pumpkin31]

Sims 4

Here is my contribution to infants! Recolors of the Kindermade Kindercrib in 12 neutral (ish) colors. I hate the original swatches (hate, hate, hate, double hate...loathe) so I wanted to have swatches that I like! ♦ 12 colors - removed the butterfly - white crib with wood (colored) slats

I hope you will find this useful...and enjoy!

DOWNLOAD SFS

[nicatnite88]

Rocket Crib!

Shoot for the stars!  This rocket crib will let your infants fly to outer space in their dreams.  Comes in 5 swatches.  Enjoy!

Download

Curseforge Patreon .PSD

[simsinfinitylt]

[hiyamachan]

happy little family 💕

[sims4blerg]

Download

[surely-sims]

✅ DX11 Updates and Bug Fixes

Hello! The files below have been updated for DX11. 

All other downloads have been cleared for DX11.  If you get an error when batch fixing in S4S about the KoT Accent Cabinet, don't worry, that has been cleared for DX11 as well.

Golden Hour Wall Mural

Invisible Crib Override

Kitchen of Tomorrow Wall Tile

Office Space Desk Lamp and Table Lamp

Office Space Wall Clock with Locations

Retro Refresh Telephone Chair (also added some new more Maxis Match swatches 💗)

Showroom Living Magazines and Wall Art Magazines

Perfect Party Cake Stand

The Following Files have been updated to fix bugs. 

Frame TVs - These have been swapped over to regular TV tuning and now work again as intended. They should not need to be updated again in the future, fingers crossed.

Kitchen of Tomorrow Dishwasher - The LOD1 now has correct weights so when you zoom out it doesn't do a sick flip

Sleeping Bag Footprint Overrides - I simplified this file, it's much much slimmer now, and also overrides all sleeping bag footprints, horse ranch included. Yeehaw.

Showroom Living Couch - Updated the slots so pets don't float halfway off now. Large Dogs still seem to hate it, but it works for cats and small dogs.

Shrimpmas 2022 Record Player - Record Player now spins the correct direction, and has been updated with all the new stations through Lovestruck.

DOWNLOAD UPDATES FREE ON PATREON

[syboubou]

✅Cribs from Helios and Coraline set had been updated to be functional for infants (they can be upgraded with mobile aswell). 🔄You can redownload for free: https://s4cc.syboulette.fr/coraline-nursery-toddler-cc-sims-4/ and https://s4cc.syboulette.fr/helios-nursery-cc-sims4/

⌛I will update the changing tables after the DLC and S4S update :)

[finalgirlsamwinchester]

today's thoughts before passing out: the demon blood plot reading as a metaphoric fear of miscegenation, a result of classic Western tropes told through a Horror framework.

demon blood is a boundary crossing substance, invasive and transformative. Sam violated in the crib functions on one level as a rape metaphor, but its done so through demonic blood coming in to dilute his human blood. the violation then, comes in as a literal theft of identity. his body becomes the literal battleground between two forces - the domestic world of his family vs. the invading, monstrous outsider. Azazel snatches and preys on civilised children from the crib as a means of recruiting them to his tribe army, literally corrupting them on a bodily level, claiming them from their blood families as his own. and the more demon blood Sam drinks, the less 'human' he becomes (the less of his family's blood in him). Dean's anger over Ruby also ties into Sam's sexual relationship with her, of which the blood drinking is a component. the blood drinking is especially transgressive because it echoes deep-rooted settler colonial anxieties, expressed through the language of pop culture - fears over losing one's blood, family, and identity to a savage Other.

(4.04)

(4.21)

what got me started on this line of thinking was a recent rewatch of John Ford's The Searchers (1956), a movie so ingrained in the modern American cultural mythos that nearly every first year cinema studies course makes it required viewing lmao. it's a subversive Western, concerned with exploring the porous boundary dividing white settler communities from Native American communities, the defining line between the 'civilised'/'uncivilised', the colonial subject and the savage. it was released during an era when America was grappling with undoing laws around racial segregation, and reflects those anxieties through classic American mythology.

so. Sam is a modern interpretation of Martin and Debbie from that movie, and Dean is a modern variant on its leading anti-hero, Ethan Edwards (rather John is our initial Ethan figure, but we spend most of the show with Dean, who takes on his mantle). just to emphasise the connection between the show and this movie - Star Wars heavily references it, and Kripke's always been explicit about this show's two leads as Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. well, i'd argue this show definitely owes more to The Searchers than Star Wars does!

Martin is Ethan's adoptive nephew of partial Cherokee descent, made an outsider to his family, by his uncle, at the film's outset due to his blood. he joins his uncle on his revenge mission after a Comanche tribe destroys their home and steals his adoptive sister - Debbie. this mission becomes his coming-of-age journey into rugged frontier manhood, as much as it is his path towards integration into white, 'civilised' society.

the protagonist of the film is Ethan, a soldier who gets consumed by his seven year long, bloody, vengeance-fuelled quest to recover his niece. when he finds Debbie, however, to his dismay he discovers she's no longer the 'pure' innocent he remembers. upon finding out that she's married to the tribe's chief - he literally disowns her as his blood kin, and at one point, even tries to kill her. Martin becomes the one to save her from his uncle's shot and the one to convince her to return home. he later convinces Ethan to recommit to rescuing her, and he ends up doing so.

(15.17 - Sam over s4 functions as a Debbie figure, but Jack also takes up her role. Dean disowns him as Ethan disowns his niece)

over the movie, we see Ethan descend into ever increasing violence and 'wildness', grown closer to his enemy after years spent on the frontier, hunting them down. Martin gets to go home, his civilising mission completed as he marries into a white family. Ethan though, stands at the threshold in the iconic concluding shot below. he's been transformed by frontier violence to the point he no longer belongs to the domestic, civilised world. he wanders back out into the desert, alone.

(1.14)

anyways. Supernatural owes so much of its dna to the classic Western, and to this movie in particular. what The Searchers was to collective white American anxieties over desegregation in the late 50s, this show was to collective white American anxieties over multiculturalism at the new millenium, in the wake of 9/11. Sam's demon blood is a critical defining line between him and his brother, as Martin's mixed race status is the defining line between him and his uncle. 'monstrosity' on this show metaphorically stands in for savagery; one brother gets thrown out onto the frontier, a journey towards 'taming' his own nature. and another brother drifts further and further away from civilised society the longer he spends fighting at the frontier, protecting civilisation from its monsters. 'blood don't end with family' comes to a screeching halt when it addresses the prospect of monstrosity. what is demon blood standing in for on this show? what does a monster represent, truly? who gets to step over the threshold into civilised society, and what is the price of that acceptance?

[therainscene]

I’ve been enjoying the sympathetic, we-aren’t-being-shown-the-whole-story takes on Henry lately, and it’s reminded me of something I always found odd about the scene with the rabbit.

On the surface, this looks like a budding serial killer engaging in that red flag behaviour of torturing animals. We see the ensnared rabbit screaming and struggling in front of a young Henry, and older Henry tells us, “as I practiced, I realized I could do more than I possibly imagined...”

But then we see young Henry’s face... and I dunno, maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see a child torturing an animal for fun. He seems thoughtful, troubled.

What really gets me about this is older Henry’s narration over this shot: “I could reach into others, into their minds, their memories.” What does that have to do with killing a rabbit? He’s not in a mind-reading trance here, his eyes are open.

Immediately following this scene, Henry segues into telling us about his parents, how he’d reached into their minds and seen that they’d done “such awful things”. We see Victor haunted by a vision of the baby he accidentally killed. It screams like the rabbit, unable to escape its burning crib.

Here’s what I think actually happened with the rabbit:

Virginia set up traps to get rid of pests. (Victor was spooked by the dead animals around his property, so I don’t think he was involved.) Henry saw this while practicing his mind-reading, and upon investigating, found a terrified, injured rabbit. He sympathized with it; his mother viewed him as a pest, too, a problem to be solved via cruelty. He killed it to end its suffering, and soon developed a habit of mercy-killing all the animals ensnared by his mother.

I think this reading is a much better fit for Henry than “weirdo kills animals as practice for murder.” When he kills his human victims, he tells them, “it’s time for your suffering to end; it will all be over soon.”

He finds children ensnared by abuse and forced conformity. He sees them in pain, trapped in their burning cribs by cruel or foolish authority figures. He sees himself. He shows them the mercy he wishes he’d been given.

This is, of course, hypocritical. Henry has no right to decide on other people’s behalf how they should cope with their pain -- he’s turned into the same abusive authority figure he’s always railed against. He sees humanity as “a unique type of pest”, just as his mother saw him. Even his beloved spiders were kept imprisoned in jars so he could study them, just as Brenner imprisoned him in the lab.

Many abusers see themselves as victims, and they’re often right. That doesn’t justify the abuse they perpetrate, but in their own minds, they feel justified. They feel like they have no other option. That’s what makes the cycle of abuse so hard to stop.

Here’s what I find most interesting about sympathetic Henry: if he’s a demonstration of the good within evil... what does that imply about his narrative foil?

Will does not like to hurt others and he does not want to become that person. He couldn’t even shoot the Demogorgon in self-defense.

But he’s quick to hurt himself if it means helping his loved ones. He was willing to sacrifice himself in order to close the gate in S2, and he immediately bottled up his feelings to deal with the Mind Flayer in S3 despite being in the midst of a complete mental breakdown as a result of bottling his feelings up for too long.

And in S4, Will knows that his feelings are exactly what will make Mike feel better, but he’s too scared to come out or risk making his bestie feel uncomfortable, so he shills for heteronormativity and disguises his feelings as his sister’s under the assumption that’s what Mike wants to hear.

It is not what Mike wants to hear.

Mike feels pressured to lie to El. El is so distracted by his bullshit that Henry has time to kill Max. Max’s death opens the final gate.

The world ends, and Will Byers played a key role in it.

In his zeal to be a Good Celibate Gay and do no harm, he contributed to the worst harm imaginable. But he felt justified in what he was doing. He thought he had no other option than to decide on Mike’s behalf how he should feel.

Henry’s gonna have a fucking field day calling him out on that one.

Will isn’t a villain and he isn’t going to become one; the real villain in Stranger Things isn’t a person or a monster so much as the monstrous things people do. If there’s one lesson to take away from this show, I’d say it’s to remember that any of us -- even sweet, gentle, well-meaning Will Byers -- is capable of evil.

But it’s okay. Will’s internalized homophobia may have helped end the world... that just means honesty, acceptance, and love are the tools he’ll need to save it again. We’re all capable of that, too.

[algu-sims]

[algu] rudy crib 1,2

crib 1 : 13 swatch

crib 2 : 15 swatch

Download (early)

[erikiara80]

Hints that someone was shot in the past

This has been in my drafts for ages. It's part of my car crash theory (here and here) I think one of the biggest hints that someone was shot in the past is the connection between Terry's flashback in S2 and what Nancy says about her guns in S4. One of the few things Terry keeps repeating is the safe combination, right? They want us to remember that she had a gun and shot a man. Then in S4, Nancy says this:

"There's a six year old child in this house. I know where I keep my guns."

Gun in the house. Kids. Danger. I think that's the connection.

In the first scene of the show, Will is attacked in his house, and tries to use the rifle. Then we see Jonathan with a gun, and they connect that to Lonnie, who forced Jon to kill a rabbit when he was a kid.

In the last episode of S1, they're attacked again in the house, and Nancy shoots the Demogorgon.

Other hints

Season 2 starts with a police chase, after Kali kills a man in his apartment.

When El is watching TV and changes the channels, we see a scene of All my children and Terminator. A hint that someone tried to kill the children?

Then in S3, a man who just looks like Terminator, tries to kill Joyce and Hopper in a farm. And the scene is a parallel to the gunfight at the Byers' in S4, in which two agents are shot.

But back to S2. At Terry's, Eleven reads a newspaper article written by Frank Williams about the abduction of a baby boy in a hospital, and the death of the nurse who took him, from a gunshot wound.

A kid "shoots" Hopper and says: "You're dead". Then in Chicago, a bald man (like Sarah) says the same thing to Eleven.

Terry kills a guard, and the other guard we see resembles Hopper. I don't think it's a coincidence. Like it's not a coincidence that in the parking lot there's a green car, similar to Joyce's. They connect Terry's memory to Joyce and Hopper, just like the newspaper in 1x08, in which Terry's story becomes Joyce's story.

Season 3

Joyce "shoots" Hopper with the prize gun

Murray welcoming Joyce and Hopper.

Also, in many scenes extras are used as hints, too, so I noticed something very interesting when Grigori kills Alexei. We see a man with mustache, like Hopper, clowns, one even has a little dragon (Will was afraid of clowns and is associated with dragons, there are clowns in Jane's crib and on Sarah's pajamas) and, behind Alexei, a blonde girl with pigtails. Like Sarah. I have many thoughts about this scene!

Nancy shoots Billy (William)

In S4, the first thing we see in El's room is the glue gun (here a post about that and Byler) when she says that they're all time travellers

There are other hints, but I think these are the most relevant.

[chirpsythismorning]

Was this really necessary?

A lot of fans complained about s4 being too overpacked with unnecessary filler. But I would argue that almost everything was important (yes even the Russia scenes, but that’s another conversation for another day).

Especially when it comes to scenes you thought had no significance at all, it’s entirely possible, and even likely those kinds of scenes hold the most meaning beyond what is presented on the surface.

If you ever found yourself thinking certain wording came off almost hokey or out of place at times, it’s bc they were probably trying to find a creative way to hint at something deeper, completely separate from the moment in the present, and believably, so that fans can overlook it at the time temporarily, only to eventually look back in the future when all is revealed and go holy shit nvm it was right in front of us.

And in scenes that we called pointless filler…

It’s actually genius.

You get people to underestimate you, only for it to be revealed that you gave them all the answers right in front of them. Unfortunately fans were too busy complaining it was pointless to notice.

This sequence in particular comes to mind:

Mind you, this isn’t the first time cow imagery has followed Joyce around. I’ve been focusing on the owl/deer imagery lately. But during that time I was reminded of a few notable cow decor items throughout the Byers and when Joyce is in the frame… Combine that with the pregnant belly comment, combined with the brother and sister watching Joyce, combined with the scene that was directly before this of Will and El as she cries over her Hopper diorama with the song Crib playing…

And in case it went over your head…

[twelvegate-blog]

Trolls, princesses, clowns and elephants

This line could be a big clue. Hopper says that this whole time he's been chasing after some other kid: El, not Will.

But in S1 and S4 we see him literally chase after Sarah. So, that line could hide the truth. That this whole time Hopper has thought that the kid he's been chasing after in his memories was Sarah, but his kids are actually Will and El.

He also tells El that before meeting her he was living in a cave. When he chases after Sarah, he pretends to be a troll who wants to eat some roasted princess. In Nordic folklore, trolls live in caves. Will mentions weird flowers in a cave in 1x08 (they also mention a proud princess). And now we know that Henry vanished and wound up in Dimension X when he was a kid, and was found near a cave system in Nevada.

But there's another connection between Will, El, Sara and Hopper. Elephants.

There's a pink elephant in Jane's crib, but only in S1, when Hopper and Joyce are there. It's not there in S2.

There are yellow elephants on Sarah's pajamas. Plus clowns, wheels and acrobats.

Will was afraid of clowns when he was a kid, and there are parallels between him, Sarah and Pennywise's first victim in the IT miniseries.

S3, the scene of the keys (Will and El are the keys to save the world)

Joyce and Hopper mention their kids as they pass two boys with H's on their jackets (twin imagery and reference to Henry) and the Elephant Ears sign.

(gif by let me risk a little more light)

And Jo found this about the torture Hopper was subjected to in Russia. It's all connected.

[munson-blurbs]

Ghostin' (Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader): Chapter 3

Part One | Part Two

Summary: After accompanying you to your doctor's appointment, you witness Vecna attacking him. While formulating a plan to keep him safe, you realize your feelings for him may be more than platonic.

Warnings: language, S4 is canon, pregnancy, blood (not too graphic)

WC: 4.8k

Taglist: @kaybee87 @sidthedollface2 @chelebelletx @livsters @atombombbibunny @tattooedkiss13 @manda-panda-monium @charming-winchester @corroded-hellfire @trashmouth-richie @sweet-villain @slightlyvicked @hxllfired @yogizzz @tlclick73 @thefreakofhawkins86 @sheisjoeschateau @harrypotteranna23-blog @harringr0ve @josie955 @luna-munson83 @blhemmings

Divider credits to @firefly-graphics

A/N: Thank you to @corroded-hellfire and @trashmouth-richie for their feedback and help editing!

Honk!

You press on your car horn outside Steve’s house. It’s the day of your doctor’s appointment; you’re sixteen weeks along today. Resting your hand on your still-small bump, you lean over to see Steve locking his front door. He jogs over to you excitedly, a huge grin on his face as flings open the passenger door.

“You’re in a good mood today,” you note, throwing the car back into ‘drive’ as he buckles his seatbelt and settles against the headrest. 

“Well, yeah,” he says, swiveling his head towards you. “Get to hang out with you, get to see the Little Bean…what’s not to be happy about?” He glances down at your stomach. “How are the two of you doing?”

You nod. “We’re hangin’ in there,” you say with a tight smile. “I always get nervous before these. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened, especially since Eddie…”

“I get it, I get it,” Steve interrupts softly, gently placing his hand over yours. “But nothing’s going to happen to either of you, okay? I’ve got you.”

“I’m not talking about Vecna, Steve,” you explain, and he tenses at his name alone. “I’m thinking about all the stress I’ve been dealing with, and what it does to the baby. That can’t be healthy. What if it hurts them? What if my anxiety makes things go wrong?”

He shakes his head. “You are already such a good mom.” His voice is calm and reassuring. “And if you’re worried about being anxious, then…maybe you can let me take on some of the burden?”

“Steve, I can’t…” Better than mustard for breakfast, Wayne’s voice floats through your mind. “I mean, you’re already doing so much. What else is there to do?”

“I don’t mind going to more appointments with you,” he starts, “or helping you shop for baby stuff. Clothes and diapers and everything. And I can help put together the crib and changing table, if you want.”

You feel your fists clench on the steering wheel; these are all things that Eddie would be doing with you, if he were alive. But he’s not, and he asked Steve to take care of you. So let him, you remind yourself. Taking a deep breath, you will yourself to relax. “That’s really sweet of you. Yeah, that’d be great, actually.” 

Steve flips on the radio, toggling the dial until he lands on a station playing REO Speedwagon. 

“Are we really listening to this?” You wrinkle your nose. “It’s almost as bad as ABBA!”

Steve gasps in mock-offense. “You take that back!”

“I shan’t,” you tease. You go to change the station, but he lightly bats your hand away. 

“And even as I wander,” he croons, completely off-key, “I'm keeping you in sight.”

“Steve, I swear to God—”

But he ignores you, swaying back and forth and continuing to sing—if you could even call it that. “You're a candle in the window/On a cold, dark winter's night/And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might.”

“You’re lucky you’re–” you start, but cut yourself off before you can complete your sentence. You were going to say cute. And he is cute, handsome, even; but it feels wrong saying that about someone other than Eddie. “--sweet,” you finish lamely. Steve looks at you as though he knows that’s not what you meant, but he drops the matter.

“There’s a reason why I stuck with basketball and not drama club back in high school,” he chuckles, wiping his palms on his jeans. He sits up suddenly. “Hey, do we have a second to stop at Radio Shack? I just need to grab something.”

The dashboard clock tells you that you’re running early, so you nod and take the next right towards the store. “I’ll only be a second,” he promises, and he’s gone in a flash. When he returns, he’s carrying a paper bag and tucking his wallet back into his pocket.

“Whatcha got?” you ask, furrowing your brow as he pulls out a tape recorder and a blank cassette. “Are you gonna record that shitty REO Speedwagon song?”

“No,” he replies pointedly. “I was just thinkin’...maybe I could record the baby’s heartbeat? That way you can listen to it whenever you want.” 

Tears spring to your eyes. “I…I’d really like that,” you whisper. You look up at him before throwing the car in reverse. “Can I tell you a secret?”

He shifts in his seat and swallows thickly. “Yeah, of course.” If you confess that you have a crush on him, too, he’ll lose his mind.

“Okay,” you murmur. “I’m afraid that when the baby comes, I…I won’t love them.” You keep your gaze trained on the road, unable to meet his gaze. “What if he or she looks just like Eddie, and I get too sad to hold them? Or I resent them?” It’s the first time you’ve admitted your fears aloud, and the guilt gnaws you from the inside. “I don’t wanna be a bad mom.”

Steve’s entire body deflates at your confession. “Oh, angel.” He doesn’t mean for the pet name to slip out, but you don’t seem to notice. “That won’t happen. You’re gonna love that baby, even if they’re the spitting image of Eddie. Crazy curls and all.” You giggle at the thought of an infant with Eddie’s wild mop of hair, and Steve brushes away your tears. He lets his fingers linger on your cheeks for an extra moment before pulling away. “This little nugget,” he tells you, palm pressed to the swell of your stomach, “is going to be loved beyond belief. I can promise you that.”

“Really?” you question, blinking away remaining tears.

“Yeah,” he breathes. “I–we–already love you so much. And we loved Eddie. So a mini of you two? Gonna steal our hearts.”

“Thank you, Steve,” you manage. “You’re the best; y’know that?”

Your words echo through his mind. The best. The best the best the best. He wants to kiss you; just press his lips to yours until he is forced to take a breath. But that’s not what you want, so he just rubs your shoulder quickly before returning his hand to his lap.

When you look over to make a right turn, you audibly gasp. A thin trail of blood is leaking from Steve’s left nostril, though he seems unaware.

“Steve,” you hiss, “you’re bleeding.” You motion to your own nose and he mimics your movement, wincing as the side of his hand comes back stained red.

“Oh, shit,” he mutters. “Y’got a tissue?” You nod, reaching into the backseat and grabbing a box of Kleenex. He tugs one free and holds it to his nose.

Worry floods your body. “Do you normally get nosebleeds?” You don’t wait for him to respond before instructing him to pinch the bridge of his nose and keep his head tilted slightly forward.

“I’ve gotten a few of them recently,” he admits. “Maybe it’s the air. Gets kinda dry this time of year.” He hopes that you buy that excuse; he knows that this is likely a symptom of something much more sinister. Something he doesn’t want you to deal with.

The waiting room isn’t too crowded; there are a few women already there. You and Steve easily find seats next to each other. His eyes are immediately drawn to the pamphlets on a nearby table, and he grabs one on prenatal nutrition. “You taking these vitamin things?” he asks, pointing to a picture of a folic acid bottle. “Says they’re really important.”

“Every morning,” you confirm, chewing on your thumbnail nervously.

“Good, good.” He turns his attention back to the leaflet before piping up, “and you’re not eating any sushi, right? Or deli meats?”

You give your best deadpan expression. “I had both for breakfast this morning and washed them down with a strawberry daiquiri. But not before smoking a pack of Marlboros.”

“Okay, I got it,” he says with a small laugh. “But you did eat, like, an actual breakfast today, right?”

“Yes, Steve,” you sigh, but warmth bubbles inside you, knowing how deeply he cares about you. About the baby, you remind yourself. He cares about the baby. He looks out for me because Eddie asked him to, and that’s more than enough. And it should be, it really should be, but a small piece of you wants something more, though you’re not quite sure what.

When a nurse calls out your name, you instinctively grab Steve’s hand. “Sorry,” you mumble, but you don’t let go. Instead, you squeeze his hand a bit tighter. “Just anxious.” The medical atmosphere reminds you of visiting Max in the hospital after Vecna’s attack, watching her chest rise and fall with the help of various beeping machines. Knowing that Eddie’s body was still in the Upside Down, unmoving. Never having another chance at life.

Maybe it’s because you’re holding Steve’s hand, or maybe it’s just because women don’t usually come to ultrasound appointments with platonic male friends, but the nurse says, “Okay, Mom, get up on the scale for me; Dad, you can sit on that chair.”

“Oh, we’re not–” you start.

“I’m just–” Steve talks at the same time.

“We’re friends,” you finish. It’s certainly a lot easier than explaining the whole dead-boyfriend-slash-baby-daddy predicament you have going on.

“Hmm,” the nurse hums, not taking her eye off of your chart. “All right. Well, then, friend, you can sit over there while I take your friend’s vitals.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Steve nods, his cheeks turning crimson. 

You step on the scale and grimace. “Don’t judge me on my weight,” you tell him. “It’s only ‘cause I’m growing a baby.”

“Wouldn’t judge you even if you weren’t,” he promises. The nurse jots down a few notes, measures your heart rate and blood pressure, and gestures to the examination table. “Lay down right there; the technician will be in in a few moments.” She offers a tight-lipped smile, no doubt off to gossip about the young mom who brought a friend to the appointment. 

You scoot back onto the table. The parchment crinkles underneath you, cutting through the silence. “I’m sorry about the whole, um, ‘dad’ thing,” you mumble, unable to make eye contact with him. 

“Nah, it’s no big deal.” Steve shakes his head, inadvertently tousling his hair. He smooths it back in place. In all honesty, he didn’t hate the idea of it. If you asked him to raise the baby with you, he’d say yes in an instant. Being a dad at nineteen wasn’t in his original plans; but then again, neither was fighting off otherworldly creatures in a parallel universe. “We just sit here and wait?”

“Pretty much,” you sigh. “Unless you wanna play a game to pass the time? Twenty questions or something?”

“Ooh, all right.” He rubs his hands together excitedly. “You guess first.”

“Person, place, or thing?”

“Person,” he says, raising his eyebrows. 

“Hmm,” you tap your chin as you consider your options. “Is it Robin?”

Steve’s jaw drops, and he nearly falls out of his seat. “What the hell? Are you a mind-reader?” 

“You’re just too predictable, Steve Harrington,” you joke. “Okay, I’ve got one. Go ahead and ask your questions.”

“All right—person, place, or thing?” He already looks deep in concentration, and you haven’t even answered him yet. 

“Thing.”

“Thing, thing, okay,” he muses. “Is it a musical instrument?”

“Nope.”

“An article of clothing?”

“Nope. You’re at three questions so far,” you remind him. 

Steve rubs his jaw. “Yeah, yeah. Um, is it a food?”

“Yes!” you exclaim excitedly. His grin matches yours. 

“Now we’re gettin’ somewhere,” he laughs. “Is it a dessert?”

You scrunch up your face. “Ooh, and we’re back to no.”

“Shit! Okay, is it a vegetable?” He beams when you give him a thumbs-up. “Is it something you’ve been craving?”

“Oh, definitely.” You’re actually craving it right now; you may have to stop off at the grocery store and grab some on your way home. 

“Pickles!” Steve snaps his fingers, and you lean over to slap him five. “Like a specific kind, or just the general concept of a pickle?”

You ponder this. “Kosher dill. Definitely. Goes best with that deli meat sandwich I had today.” You giggle as Steve flips you off, but he’s laughing, too. 

You wait another twenty minutes for the technician, playing a few more rounds of Twenty Questions and answering some of Steve’s own queries. 

“What’re those things?” he asks, pointing to the metal objects at the end of the exam seat. 

“They’re stirrups, Steve.”

“Oh.” He acts like this explains everything, until he poses his follow-up question. “What’re they for?”

“I put my feet in them when the doctor wants to look at my vagina.” You cackle as his face turns bright red. “Well, what did you think they examined here? My ears?”

“Are they gonna…d’you have to…” he stammers nervously. “Did you want me to go?”

You shake your head. “Not for this one. They’ll just need to pull my shirt up a bit; probably undo my shorts zipper, too. Is that too X-rated for you?” you tease. 

“I think I can handle it,” he jokes back, starting to regain his composure. 

“Figured,” you shrug. “Eddie told me that you snuck out a copy of Vampire Vixens from Family Video’s adult section for the two of you to watch.”

“He told you that?!?” Steve sputters. “He said he wouldn’t tell anyone!”

“Girlfriends don’t count,” you state plainly. It feels nice to talk about Eddie in this context. Eddie messing with his friends, or causing some kind of trouble. Not Eddie in his final moments, desperate to be a hero. Just Eddie Munson: silly, lovable, funny, and sweet. The way you want to remember him. 

The technician knocks on the door and opens it with a smile. “Hello!” She’s much more chipper than the nurse. “Are we ready to see this baby?”

You nod enthusiastically. “Absolutely,” you exhale, reaching for Steve’s hand again. When you can’t find it, you look over to see him rummaging through the Radio Shack bag to set up the recorder. 

“Is it okay if I tape this?” he asks the tech. “Just so we—she—can listen to it later?”

“Not a problem,” she replies, bringing her attention back to you. “This gel will be a little cold, but it’ll warm up soon.” She squeezes the bottle gently and moves the wand around your belly. Within a few seconds, the sound of a fast heartbeat fills your ears. 

“Is that…” Steve murmurs, eyes misty and wide. “Is that the baby’s heartbeat?”

“Sure is,” the technician confirms, beaming at you both. Steve clicks on the recorder and holds it to the machine. His hand is trembling slightly. You mouth Are you okay? and he gives you a thumbs-up with his free hand. Your eyes become glassy with tears as you absorb the thump-thump-thump of your baby’s heart. It’s the most beautiful music you’ve ever heard. Proof of the little life that you and Eddie created together. Evidence of how love could triumph over tragedy. A sensation snaps you out of your thoughts, and you look down to see Steve’s hand slithering into yours. After a few moments, he shuts off the recorder.

“That was…amazing,” he manages, and you realize he’s been crying, too. “There’s really a little baby in there, huh?”

The technician removes the wand and smiles. “The doctor will be in in just a moment,” she says, frowning when she sees Steve’s face fall. 

“The…the doctor?” he stammers. “Is there something wrong?” He turns to you, eyes wide with concern.

“It’s okay,” you reassure him. “The doctor just checks on the baby and confirms that everything is good to go.” But you’d be lying if you said this wasn’t the worst part of the appointments. Waiting for the doctor to let you know if the baby was healthy and developing normally. And though it only takes about ten minutes for him to arrive, it feels like a lifetime.

You and Steve both breathe a deep sigh of relief when your doctor tells you that Little Bean looks good.

“You’re all set. We’ll see you in four weeks; you can find out the sex of the baby then, if you’d like.” He holds the door open for you and Steve, and you make your way to the receptionist to schedule your next appointment.

“Are you gonna find out the sex?” Steve asks as the two of you walk towards your car. 

“I dunno,” you shrug. “I kinda wanna be surprised.” You open your door and carefully sit down. “What do you think I should do?” You really want to ask, What do you think Eddie would want?, but you bite it back.

“I think,” he begins, “it would be nice to have a surprise that doesn’t involve saving the world.” He settles into his seat and stifles a yawn. “Did you wanna grab some lunch?”

“Looks like you could use a nap,” you nudge him. “We can grab some Benny’s to-go and you can crash at my place?” You would sell your soul for one of their greasy grilled cheese sandwiches and, of course, a fresh pickle.

Steve nods. “Wake me up when we get there?” he asks sleepily. He tosses and turns nearly all night, but when you’re around, he feels relaxed enough to doze off. He feels his eyelids grow heavier, his crossed arms fall to his sides slowly, and his head leans against the window. With all of the overwhelming emotions of the day, he’d forgotten why he tries not to fall asleep near you anymore.

You’re only a few minutes away from the diner when you notice Steve writhing in his seat. His eyes remain closed, but you can see them darting from side to side through the lids. Unintelligible murmurs escape his lips. You think it’s cute at first, but your fawning quickly turns to concern as you hear him yelling, “No! Stop! No!”

“Steve?” you raise your voice slightly above normal speaking volume, keeping your focus on the road as you use a hand to shake him. “Steve, wake up.” But he stays trapped in his dream, his cries getting louder and louder. “Steve, you’re really scaring me!”

You pull off to the side of the road and unbuckle your seatbelt. Now that you’re directly facing him, you can see that his eyes are rolling back and his jaw is quaking. “Not you, too,” you sob. “Please, Steve, come back to me.” You grab both of his shoulders and shake him harder, chanting his name over and over. “C’mon, snap out of it!”

“Welcome back, Steve.” Your voice surrounds him, bellowing throughout the forest, but the source is nowhere to be found. “Did you have fun at the appointment? Pretending like this is your baby? Trying to take Eddie’s place?”

“Stop it!” Steve tries, but his voice splinters. “This isn’t real!”

“Oh, it isn’t?” the voice replies snidely. “What, just because I haven’t turned you into a pile of broken bones?” Once again, the voice deepens gradually until it’s fully Vecna’s, who emerges from behind a tree.  He’s dragging a clawed foot slowly. “You may have hurt me, but you didn’t stop me. I can lose the battle, but I WILL win the war. And I am not done with Hawkins yet.”

Steve looks around for an escape, but it appears as though there is nowhere to run. “What do you want from me?”

“You know what I want, Steve Harrington,” the monster growls. “Since you and your friends decided to attack me, I need to regain my strength. I need another door, and YOU are the key.” Vecna pauses, his mouth curling into a disgusting sneer. “Unless, of course, you think it would be easier for me to use your little girlfriend.”

“No!” Steve shouts, though it sounds tinny and muted in his head. “Leave her alone! If…If you need someone, you can take me.”

Vecna’s malicious chuckle makes Steve’s stomach churn. “That’s what I thought,” he taunts. “Maybe this will help you atone for your sins.” 

Steve stands frozen in place, watching helplessly as Vecna walks towards him. He thinks he’s imagining it when he hears you calling out for him; like it’s another hallucination. But your voice rings out again, louder this time, with no hint of a snarl seeping in. 

“Y/N!” His vocal chords feel strangled as Vecna reaches out a vine-covered arm. 

“Steve, wake up!” A small patch of light breaks through the trees. If he waits much longer, he won’t have enough oxygen to escape. Before he can overthink, he takes the deepest breath he can manage. 

And he runs. 

Steve collapses into your arms, panting breathlessly and trembling so hard that his teeth chatter. “Oh my God, oh my God,” he repeats. “I thought he had me–”

“Shh,” you console him, running your fingers through his hair as you hold his head to your chest. “You’re okay now. You’re safe. I’m right here.” You muster up all your courage before asking, “Was…was it him?” 

Lying to you would be fruitless. “Yeah,” he concedes, sighing against you. “Yeah, it’s him. And he’s after me now.”

“This isn’t the first time this has happened, is it?” But it’s not a question; you already know the answer.

He shakes his head. “‘S not the first nightmare, but it’s the first time he’s tried to suffocate me like that since…”

“C’mon, let’s go to Nancy’s house,” you urge him. “We can call Robin and Dustin and make a plan to keep you safe.”

“I can go by myself,” he tries. “I don’t want you getting any more involved in this than you already are.”

You reposition yourself so you’re looking directly at him. “Steve, no,” you protest. “Please let me help you. I want to be there for you, like you’ve been there for me.

“This is a little different,” Steve offers a weak laugh. “I’m going with you to doctor’s appointments and nagging you about taking prenatal vitamins. You’d be risking your health–your life. And Little Bean’s life. I can’t let you do that.”

“Little Bean and I will be fine,” you insist, though you’re unsure how true that statement is. “And we’re going to Nancy’s.” Your stomach emanates an embarrassing growl. “Right after we make a pitstop at Benny’s.” 

Grilled cheese devoured en route, you pull up to the Wheeler house and brush the crumbs off of your lap. You’d stopped to use a payphone to ask Nancy if you two could stop by, explaining the urgency of the situation. She’s waiting at the door, a concerned expression tattooed on her face. Robin stands behind her, worry creasing her own forehead.

“Henderson here yet?” Steve asks them, and Nancy nods.

“He’s in the kitchen talking to Mike,” she says. “Come in. Sounds like we have a lot to discuss.” She lightly grabs your wrist as you walk by. “How’re you feeling?” she questions, tone hushed.

“With the pregnancy symptoms? Much better,” you report. “With Steve being Vecna’s latest target? Not great.” She gives an empathetic sigh as everyone takes their place around the kitchen table.

“Can you tell us exactly what happened?” Dustin asks Steve, sipping on a can of Pepsi. Steve relays the situation as best as he can, carefully omitting the details about his feelings for you.

Dustin turns towards your direction. “And what did he look like when this was going on?”

“Just like Max did when she was at Billy’s grave,” you tell him. “Only Max started out awake, but Steve was asleep.”

“He only ever comes when I’m sleeping,” Steve adds. “I’ve never seen him outside of my dreams.”

Nancy’s eyebrows shoot up. “So, this isn’t the first one?” She glances at Robin, who lets her gaze drop to the ground guiltily.

“I thought it was just, like, a PTSD thing,” she mumbles. “I had no idea it was actually him.”

“I didn’t either,” says Steve. “Not until today. I had my suspicions when I heard the fifth chime–”

“What fifth chime?” Mike asks slowly. “You guys told me there were only four: Chrissy, Fred, Patrick, and Max. And then, y’know, the whole ‘earthquake’ thing happened.” Everyone, including you, looks at Steve expectantly.

He sighs. “Last week, the day that Y/N and I hung out during her lunch break, Vecna was in my dream–or maybe they’re not dreams, maybe they’re real–and there were five chimes. I’ve heard the fifth one ever since.”

“But why would Vecna go after you?” you wonder aloud. Honestly, you’d be a much better target, considering all of the trauma you’d endured.

Dustin interrupts before anyone can come up with an answer. “So he told you that he’s still weakened from the battle over spring break, which is probably why he’s only able to access you in your sleep. Believe it or not, your brain is too busy while you’re awake.” Steve rolls his eyes at the jab, but allows him to continue. “What is he telling you?”

Steve’s face blanches at the question. “W-What do you mean?”

“Y’know, he showed Nance the vision of Holly and her mom getting hurt, and he kept making Max relive Billy’s death,” Robin pipes up, trying to be helpful. Steve shoots her a glare.

“He, uh, tells me that Eddie’s death is my fault,” he murmurs, purposefully avoiding your gawking stare. “That I wanted him dead.”

Tears spring to your eyes. “Why would he say that?”

Robin realizes where this conversation will lead. “We don’t have to figure that out right now,” she rushes, and Steve’s posture relaxes. “What’s really important is that we stay on alert, in case of another attack.” She gets up and rifles through a kitchen drawer, coming back with a yellow notepad and a pen. “We already know that we can ward off Vecna, at least temporarily, with music. What’s your favorite song?”

“That REO Speedwagon one, right?” you jump in excitedly. “The one you made me suffer through this morning?”

He considers this before shaking his head. “Nah, it’s that Zeppelin song we listened to in the car when we ate lunch,” he says softly. “You were singing it and laughing. Now I can’t get it out of my head.”

“Black Dog?” You furrow your brows, and he nods.

“Okay.” Dustin smacks his hands on the table, startling everyone slightly. “Mike and I can put that song on a cassette for you, probably up to twelve hours or so.”

“What if that doesn’t work while he’s sleeping?” muses Nancy. “Or the tape stops playing or unwinds, and he doesn’t realize.” She bites her painted lower lip. “Someone will have to stay with him at night.”

It’s silent for a moment, until you speak up. “I’ll stay with him,” you offer. “I have my own apartment, so we won’t have to worry about waking people up.”

“Y/N, are you positive?” Steve’s eyes hold apprehension. “You need to get your sleep now more than ever.”

“I’m not gonna be able to rest if I’m worried about Vecna sucking out your eyeballs and breaking your limbs,” you reason. “Let me help you, Steve. Please.”

He hesitates before relenting. “O-Okay, yeah. As long as it’s not too much. If it is, you can schlep me off to one of these dorks.”

“Deal.” You stick out your hand, and he shakes it up and down. So, Steve would be sleeping over again. When it first started, you’d just been grateful to have someone nearby, though you’d never gotten used to the sinking feeling in your stomach when it wasn’t Eddie laying next to you. You’re still thankful, but there’s another feeling alongside that. It’s accompanied by the same kind of nervousness you’d felt when you first started dating Eddie. 

What’s wrong with you? How can you develop feelings for your late boyfriend’s friend? While you’re carrying the aforementioned boyfriend’s child?

No. No, liking Steve Harrington is not an option. It must just be those pesky pregnancy hormones rearing their ugly heads.

You’d told Eddie–promised him–that it would only ever be him. And though your head knows that Eddie wouldn’t want you to be alone forever, your heart aches at the thought of moving on.

“Y/N? You all right?” Nancy’s voice cuts through your thoughts.

No, you want to say. No, I think I’m falling in love with Steve Harrington, and it feels like the ultimate betrayal.

“‘M fine,” you lie. And you will be; you just need to stop falling for Steve.

How hard could that be?

--